Gun rest



.' Feb. 22; 1966 w. T; HADLEY GUN REST Filed Jan. 4, 1965 INV ENTOR WILLIAM T. HADLEY A ORNEY United States Patent Ofifice 3,235,998 Patented Feb. 22, 1966 3,235,998 GUN REST William T. Hadley, New York, N.Y., assignor to Ten Ring Mfg. Corp., a corporation of New York Filed Jan. 4, 1965, Ser. No. 423,048 1 Claim. (Cl. 4294) The present invention relates to a gun rest. More particularly, the invention relates to a gun rest which can be removably attached to the weapon.

Gun rests have found wide acceptance among riflemen who have used them advantageously not only for target shooting but also for other occasions where extreme shooting accuracy was desired. Such prior art gun rests, however, have had in common one or more disadvantages which have substantially limited their use to shooting at stationary targets in a suitable environment. Among such disadvantages one may mention lack of portability, need for time-consuming leveling adjustments, inability to adjust when placed on a rough terrain, and the like. In addition, such stationary gun rests have been usually characterized by relatively high cost.

In an attempt to overcome one or more of said disadvantages, there have been suggested gun rests which are stabilized by insertion into the ground and which support a pad upon which the gun can be rested. Such gun rests are obviously unsuitable for use in a frozen terrain. Furthermore, such rests, if not properly inserted into the ground, can become dislodged therefrom and collapse at an inopportune moment. In addition, such rests make it diflicult for the user to move about freely since, each time the user wishes to change his position, he must remove his gun from the supporting pad, dislodge the rest from the ground, carry the gun and the rest separately to the new firing position, insert the rest into the ground, and replace the gun on the supporting pad. Such procedure, as inconvenient as it is when the target in question is a stationary target, would be almost impossible to perform in connection with a moving target, such as a Varmint or other animal.

It is an object of the invention to provide a gun rest which is light, strong and easy to use.

It is another object of the invention to provide a gun rest which is removably affiXa-ble to the gun and which can be carried about in an afiixed position.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a gun rest which when afiixed to the gun, will not interfere with the use thereof regardless of the shooting position of the user.

It is a still further object to provide a gun rest which can provide support on any type of surface, regardless of the condition or angle thereof.

These and other objects will become apparent to one skilled in the art in the light of the instant specification and drawings.

In its broad aspect, the invention relates to a removably afiixable gun rest comprising a pair of leg members having upper and lower ends, said leg members having on the upper ends thereof opposite symmetrically curved jaws capable of seating a gun barrel therebetween, pivot means for pivotally connecting said leg members to each other, and spring means urging the upper ends of said leg members inwardly toward one another, for clasping said gun barrel and maintaining said rest secured thereto.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, one of the leg members consists of two substantially identical parallel upright units, fixedly and equidistantly spaced from each other at the pivot point by the other leg member and at a point substantially removed from said pivot point by a brace member. This construction provides for a stronger and more durable gun rest especially when the leg members are'constructed of wood, which is a preferred material.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the preferred embodiment of the invention in a collapsed position;

FIG. 2 is a right elevational view of the embodiment of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2A is an enlarged sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view of the preferred embodiment of the invention attached to a gun and in posi tion for use.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the preferred gun rest of the invention comprises a first leg member 10 and a second leg member which consists of substantially identical upright units 11 and 12. The optimum length of said leg members is in the range of about 12 to about 16 inches. Said leg members, which are pivotally joined to each other in plier-like fashion by screw-type assembly 16 at a point substantially adjacent their upper ends, have at said upper end symmetrical oppositely-disposed curved jaws 13, 14 and 15. The entire inner surfaces of said curved jaws are lined with rubber strips 19, 20 and 21, adhesively or otherwise securely attached thereto. Said rubber strips protect the gun barrel from scratches and, in addition, due to their non-slipping properties, minimize any unwanted movement of the rest with respect to the gun barrel during operation.

Upright units 11 and 12 are fixed spaced from each other at the point of pivotal connection with leg member 10 by said leg member 10 and at a point substantially removed therefrom by a brace member, such as dowel or pin 17. Metal clip 18 is fixedly attached to upright units 11 and 12 at a point substantially proximate their lower end. Said metal clip is so constructed as to permit the entire collapsed unit to be hooked over the users belt and to be carried about in this fashion.

The construction of the screw-type assembly 16 and of the spring means is more clearly illustrated in FIG. 2A. Screw-type assembly 16, which is commonly known as a post and screw assembly, consists of a screw 22, a screw-receiving section 23 having a head portion and a hollow cylindrical body portion internally-threaded as to receive screw 22 and extending through the leg members. The outside surface of the body portion is smooth as to facilitate the pivotal motion of the leg members and to minimize frictional wear thereof.

The opposite inner faces of the leg members adjacent to the pivotal connection are provided with aligned spring seating recesses which contain two fiat spiral springs 24. Said springs surround a median portion of the screw-type assembly 16 and are secured in said recesses by inserting their end portions in suitable holes provided therefor. Said springs are so secured as to be in an unwound position when the gun rest is collapsed.

FIG. 3 illustrates the preferred gun rest of the invention attached to a gun barrel. For the sake of simplicity, only gun muzzle 25 and forward gun sight 26 have been illustrated in the drawings but the operation of the present gun rest will be readily apparent to one skilled in the art.

With reference to FIG. 2, in order to attach the present rest to the gun, the user pivotally rotates leg member 10 320 or more with respect to the other leg member as to provide an opening between curved jaw 13 on one side and 14 and 15 on the other suflicient to permit the gun barrel to be inserted therebetween. Said pivotal rotation places springs 24 in a wound position causing them to exert a force opposite thereto.

Once the gun barrel is inserted in the opening defined by the curved jaws, the user merely releases the leg members causing the opposite jaws to close securely on said barrel due to the force exerted by the wound springs. To remove the rest, the user merely reverses the above procedure.

The advantages of the gun rest of the invention will be apparent to one skilled in the art.

Due to the simplicity of its construction, said gun rest can be manufactured for a cost substantially lower than heretofore possible. In addition, the use of materials of construction of light weight can permit such rest to remain afiixed to the gun while said gun is being carried about or fired from a non-rest position.

The gun rest of the invention can provide support on any type of surface, regardless of the condition or angle thereof. If the support surface slopes from the left to the right of the user, or vice versa, the user merely rotates the gun barrel within the curved jaws in the desired direction. In practice, if the gun is equipped with a scope, the gun barrel can be rotated a full 90 from the position shown in FIG. 3 and the rest can be used to stabilize the gun against a vertical surface, such as a wall or a tree.

Whereas a strong lightweight wood, such as birch, is the preferred material of construction for gun rests which are only submitted to intermittent use, a suitable plastic, such as high-impact polystyrene, can be also employed.

In other applications where extreme ruggedness is desirable, the material of construction can preferably be die-cast aluminum or lightweight alloys thereof.

While a specific preferred embodiment of the present 30 invention has been shown and described, it will be readily understood by those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited exactly thereto, since various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

A removably afiixable gun rest comprising a pair of leg members having upper and lower ends, said leg members having on the upper ends thereof opposite symmetrically curved jaws capable of seating a gun barrel therebetween; pivot means for pivotally connecting said leg members to each other; spring means urging the upper ends of said leg members inwardly toward one another, for clasping said gun barrel and maintaining said rest secured thereto; and a brace member; one of said leg members consisting of two substantially identical parallel upright units fixedly and equidistantly spaced from each other at the point of pivotal connection by the other leg member and at a point substantially removed therefrom by said brace member.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,295,688 2/1919 Butler 4294 2,368,792 2/1945 Willman 4294 2,472,804 6/1949 Bird 4294 X FOREIGN PATENTS 720,365 5/ 1942 Germany. 274,106 3/1928 I Great Britain.

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner. 

